Apparatus for opening slivers of textile fibers

ABSTRACT

In an open-end spinning device there is provided an opening apparatus for separating slivers into single fibers which are forwarded to a spinning rotor, also forming part of the spinning device. The opening apparatus includes, in a housing, a very rapidly rotating, peripherally toothed opening roll to which the sliver is advanced by an oppositely rotating feed roll spaced at a radial distance of maximum 0.5 mm from the teeth of the opening roll. The working zone of the opening roll is bounded by a peripheral portion of the feed roll.

I United States Patent 1191 1111 3,826,071 Grau July 30, 1974 [5 APPARATUS FOR OPENING SLIVERS 0F 896,437 8/1908 Collins 19/105 TEXTlLE FIBERS 2,853,847 9/1958 Kccler et a1. 57/5839 X 3,210,923 10/1965 Schlosscr 57/5895 [75] Inventor: Gerhard Gran, Ebersbach, 3,324,642 6/1967 Mcimbcrg ct al 57/58.)5 Germany 3,439,488 4/1969 Bucil ct 111 57/511,119 X 3,672,144 6/1972 Didek et al. 57/58.)5 [73] Asslgneezmser'Texllmasch'ne" GmbH 3,685,272 8/1972 Greenwood et al. 57/5895 Ebersbach, Germany [22] Filed: June 21, 1972 Primary Examiner-John W. Huckert Assistant Examiner-,Charles Gorenstein [2! 1 Appl' 264953 Attorney, Agent, or Firm-Edwin E. Greigg [30] Foreign Application Priority Data [57] ABSTRACT June 21, 1971 Germany 2130658 In an open-end spinning device there is provided an 52 us. c1 57/56, 57/5891 57/5895 Opening PP Separating slivers Single [511 In CL. Dolh 11/00, Dolh m2 b 13/02 bers which are forwarded to a spinning rotor, also [58] Field of Search ..57/58.8958.95, 56; fOYmmgPa" of spmmfig devlce- Theopeningee 19/83 86 96 105 105 CF paratus mcludes, in a housing, a very rapidly rotatmg, I M peripherally toothed opening roll to which the sliver is advanced by an oppositely rotating feed roll spaced at [56] References and a radial distance of maximum 0.5 mm from the teeth UNITED STATE PATENTS of the opening roll. The working zone of the opening 657,580 9/1900 Woolery 19/96 roll is bounded by a peripheral portion of the feed roll. 866,918 9/1907 Collins 19/105 X 18 Claims, 4 Drawing Figures v APPARATUS FOR OPENING SLIVERS OF TEXTILE FIBERS BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION This invention relates to an apparatus for opening slivers of textile fibers into separate, single fibers in an open-end spinning device. The apparatus is of the type that has a rapidly rotating peripherally toothed opening roll and a rotary feed roll which advances the sliver with the speed of its circumferential speed to the work zone where the sliver is separated into separate, single fibers by the opening roll.

In open-end spinning devices the single fibers pulled continuously from the sliver by the opening apparatus are conveyed by means of an air stream into a groove of a very rapidly rotating spinning rotor where the single fibers are spun into the end of the yarn which, in turn, is continuously drawn off the rotor. In order to obtain a yarn of good quality, the sliver has to be separated uniformly in time and the single fibers should not be damaged, for example, ruptured.

There are already known a great number of apparatuses of the aforenoted type which are common in that they all comprise a very rapidly rotating opening roll which is provided with sawtooth-like teeth at its periphery. At the predetermined work zone the sliver tangentially engages the toothed outer circumference of the opening roll and the latter pulls the single fibers from the fiber beard forming the leading end of the silver. In such apparatuses, as disclosed, for example, in German Published Patent Applications DOS 1,952,106 and 2,050,064, as well as US. Pat. No. 3,439,488, the feed rolls effecting the advance of the sliver are arranged at a distance from the aforenoted work zones.

OBJECT AND SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The invention is an improvement of an opening apparatus which has a rapidly rotating opening roll provided with a multitude of teeth along its periphery for pulling single fibers from the sliver.

Accordingly, it is an object of the invention to provide an improved apparatus of the aforenoted type which is structurally simple, operationally safe and which ensures a particularly uniform, gentle opening of the slivers.

Briefly stated, according to the invention, the periphery of the feed roll is disposed at a small distance (preferably not more than 0.5 mm) from the outermost points of the teeth on the opening roll and further, means are provided to rotate the two rolls in opposite directions. The work zone is bounded by a peripheral portion of the feed roll.

By means of the aforeoutlined manner there is achieved a particularly good guidance of the fiber beard disposed in the work zone and an accurate and gentle separation of the fiber beard into separate, single fibers.

The invention will be better understood, as well as further objects and advantages will become more apparent, from the ensuing detailed specification of a preferred, although exemplary, embodiment taken in conjunction with the drawing.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT Turning now to FIG. 1, the apparatus to separate a sliver into single fibers comprises a housing 9 (the upper side of which is removed for the' sake of clarity) which accommodates an opening roll 10, a feed roll 1 1, a pressure roll 12, a filler body 13 and channels 14 and 15. Through the channel 14 the sliver is introduced to a work zone 16 between the opening roll 10 and the feed roll 11, while the channel 15 serves to guide the single fibers to a spinning rotor, not shown. There is further provided in the housing 9 an air inlet channel 17 for the air stream which subsequently carries the single fibers through the channel 15 and an injection channel 19 which leads to a discharge tube 18 and which, by virtue of centrifugal forces, receives shell particles or other relatively heavy fragments hurled by the opening roll 10. The provision of components 18, I9 effectively prevents an introduction of foreign bodies into the spinning rotor.

The opening roll 10 and the feed roll 11 rotate about stationary, parallel disposed axes. The pressure roll 12 is rotatably supported on a pivotal lever 20 and is continuously pressed against the periphery of the feed roll 11 by a pressure spring 19 for providing a pinching means to grip the sliver (not shown) as it arrives through the channel 14. The periphery of the pressure roll 12 may have an elastic coating, but it may be formed as a relatively inelastic roll, preferably made of steel. The rolls 10, 11 and 12 are of relatively large axial dimensions, as it may be observed, at least for rolls 11 and 12, in FIG. 2.

Conventionally, the opening roll 10 has narrow peripheral teeth 22 which are arranged serially in a helix (not shown) and have a sawtooth configuration. The width of each tooth is substantially smaller than the pitch of the helix. The teeth are provided by stamping a relatively thin metal strip which is inserted into a groove cut into a flange 23 of the opening roll 10. Since such a structure is well known, it is not shown in more detail.

The periphery of the feed roll 11, as shown in FIG. 2, is provided with a plurality of circumferential, uniformly spaced, parallel grooves 24 separated from one another by relatively narrow lateral walls 25. As illustrated in FIG. 3, the grooves 24 have an approximately wedge-shaped cross section. As shown in FIG. 4, each lateral wall has a circumferentially extending undulating crest line 26 having regularly alternating valleys and peaks. This wavy configuration is identical for each lateral wall 25. Instead of a plurality of parallel arranged circumferential grooves 24 it is feasible to provide a single groove which extends along the periphery of the feed roll 11 in a helical manner and has a plurality of turns. It has been found that a grooved feed roll ensures a particularly gentle opening of the sliver and leaves its fiber diagram practically unchanged. The depth and greatest width of each groove may be 0.2 1.0 mm, preferably 0.4 0.6 mm. It has been further found advantageous to space the grooves (whether individual circumferential grooves or a single helical groove) approximately 1 3 mm, preferably about 2 mm apart, measured from center to center.

The valleys and peaks of the crest line 26 of the lateral walls may be in alignment in an axial direction of the feed roll 11 or may be staggered from one wall to an adjacent wall by a constant, relatively small angle. Stated differently, axially adjacent peaks or axially adjacent valleys extend along a line which is disposed at a preferably small angle to an axially parallel generatrix of the geometrical surface determined by said peaks. Similarly, in a manner not shown, the axially adjacent teeth 22 of the opening roll 10 may be staggered by a constant angle so that there is obtained an oblique tooth structure formed not by throughgoing teeth but by a staggered arrangement of teeth disposed parallel about the opening roll.

In the housing wall which is adjacent one radial face of the feed roll 11 and the pressure roll 12 there is arranged, in the vicinity of the gripping or clamping line of the cylinder pair 11, 12, an outlet opening 27 which is connected to a vacuum source, not shown, and which serves for drawing away single fibers flying off laterally from the sliver.

The space between the opening roll 10, the feed roll 11 and the pressure roll 12 is substantially filled out by a filler body 13 which extends outwardly from said space and which is pivotally held at 29. The filler body 13 leaves open a passage 30 in the aforenoted space for the sliver. The lateral faces of the filler body 13 which are oriented towards the rolls 10, 11 and 12, conform substantially to the curvature of their periphery. As best seen in FIG. 2, the passage 30 of the filler body 13 is laterally bounded by two arms 31 between which, at their base, there extendsa metallic stripper edge 32. The latter extends over the width of the filler body 13 and is pressed against the pressure roll 12 by means of a spring 34 biasing the filler body 13 for the purpose of removing the fibers adhering to the pressure roll 12. In this manner the pressure roll 12 is continuously cleaned and the removed fibers either travel to the work zone 16 or are drawn out through the suction outlet 27.

The arcuate surface 35 of the filler body 13 disposed adjacent the periphery of the opening roll 10 forms a continuation of the cylindrical wall of the chamber 36 which accommodates the opening roll 10. The arcuate surface 35 of the filler body 13 extends to the location 39 where the opening roll 10 may have its first contact with the sliver. The filler body 13 constitutes a good seal for the space between the clamping zone 40 of the cylinder pair 11, 12 and the work zone 16 and it further serves for the cleaning of the pressure roll 12, for the lateral guidance of the sliver between the clamping zone and the work zone and for guiding the air stream to the work zone. The filler body 13 thus ensures that the air jacket rotating with the opening roll 10 is admitted practically undisturbed to the work zone. It further prevents the sliver from spreading between the clamping zone 40 and the work zone 16 and also prevents the single, separate fibers from entering the space between the radial faces of the rolls and the housing. The filler body 13 also provides an effective seal for the space between the clamping zone 40 and the working zone 16 against the effects of exiting air. This feature improves the aerodynamic conditions at the work zone and eliminates, or at least substantially diminishes, the waste of fiber fly.

As illustrated in FIG. 1, the directions of rotation of the opening roll 10 and the feed roll 11 are opposed to one another, so that the feed roll 11 continuously advances the sliver to the work location 16. The sliver, during treatment by the opening roll 10 lies on the feed roll 11. The latter thus furnishes a backup support for the sliver while it is worked on by the opening roll 10. The smallest distance between the tip of the teeth 22 of the opening roll 10 and the highest points of the undulating crest line 26 of the lateral walls 25 is expediently held at a very small value and is preferably 0.1 0.5 mm.

The opening roll 10 may have a diameter of, for example, approximately 80 mm and the feed roll 11 a diameter of approximately mm.

The distance from the narrowest clearance between the opening roll 10 and the feed roll 11 at the clamping zone 40, between the feed roll 11 and the pressure roll 12 measured along the periphery of the feed roll 11 is the most favorable if it is somewhat greater than the expected length of the longest fibers in the sliver to be separated. It is noted, however, that the broadest scope of the invention is by no means limited to such an arrangement. Expediently, the aforenoted distance may be such that the fiber beard of the sliver reaches approximately to the narrowest gap between the opening roll 10 and the feed roll 11 at which point the fibers are pulled out of the sliver. This arrangement does by no means preclude the possibility that the opening roll 10 may pull out fibers from the fiber beard already upstream of the aforenoted narrowest location. Also, the partial or full opening of the fiber beard may take place already upstream of the aforenoted narrowest location if such a solution is advantageous in certain cases.

The above-described preferred embodiment operates as follows:

The sliver to be opened is advanced with a constant feeding speed to the gripping zone 40 and is admitted at a distance downstream thereof into the range of the teeth 22 of the opening roll 10. These teeth, on the one hand, seek to place the sliver onto the periphery of the feed roll 11 and, on the other hand, seek to pull out single fibers from the sliver. The single fibers are thereafter admitted into the channel 15 and are forwarded to the spinning rotor (not shown) where they are spun.

As it may be observed from FIG. 1, the work zone 16 where the fibers are continuously pulled from the fiber beard of the sliver by the opening roll is bounded, adjacent the opening roll 10, by the periphery of the feed roll 1 1 and thus affects the course of the sliver separating operation. It is further noted that the air stream flowing through the channels 14, 15, 17, 19 is generated by the rapid rotation of the toothed opening roll 10.

What is claimed is:

1. In an apparatus for opening slivers of textile fibers into separate fibers, said apparatus being associated with an open-end spinning device and being of the known type that has (a) a rapidly rotating opening roll having a plurality of teeth on its periphery, and (b) a rotating feed roll for advancing said slivers towards said opening roll, the improvement comprising a work zone bounded on one side by a peripheral portion of said opening roll and on the other side by a peripheral portion of said feed roll, and a pressure roll disposed upstream of said work zone and being pressed against said feed roll to provide a clamping zone for gripping each sliver, with said opening roll and said feed roll being driven in opposite directions, with the periphery of said feed roll being provided with peripherally extending groove means in a spaced, side-by-side relationship, with the outermost point on said teeth and on said groove means being located at a radial distance from one another of not more than 0.5 mm, with said feed roll being adapted to advance said slivers to said work zone, and with said opening roll separating said slivers into separate fibers in said work zone.

2. An improvement as defined in claim 1, wherein said radial distance is approximately 0.1 mm.

3. An improvement as defined in claim 1, wherein said groove means are formed as a plurality of spacedly juxtaposed individual grooves.

4. An improvement as defined in claim 1, wherein said groove means are formed as a single, helically extending groove having a plurality of turns.

5. An improvement as defined in claim 1, wherein the width and the depth dimensions of said groove means are approximately 0.2 1.0 mm.

6. An improvement as defined in claim 5, wherein said dimensions are 0.4 0.6 mm.

7. An improvement as defined in claim 1, wherein the distance between the centers of two axially adjoining grooves is approximately 1 3 mm.

8. An improvement as defined in claim 7, wherein said last-named distance is approximately 2 mm.

9. An improvement as defined in claim 1, wherein axially adjoining grooves of said groove means are separated from one another by lateral walls, each wall having a crest line formed of peripherally alternating valleys and peaks.

10. An improvement as defined in claim 9, wherein said peaks and valleys are of uniform configuration.

11. An improvement as defined in claim 10, wherein said peaks and valleys of adjacent walls are in alignment in the axial direction of said feed roll.

12. An improvement as defined in claim 10, wherein the peaks and the valleys on one lateral wall are staggered at a uniform angle with respect to the peaks and the valleys of an axially adjoining lateral wall.

13. An improvement as defined in claim 1, the periphery of said feed roll being provided with peaks and valleys.

14. An improvement as defined in claim 1, wherein said radial distance is between approximately 0.1 to 0.5

15. An improvement as defined in claim 1, wherein the distance measured along the periphery of said feed roll from said clamping zone to the location of the smallest distance between said opening roll and said feed roll being greater than the maximum staple length of the fibers in said slivers.

16. In an apparatus for opening slivers of textile fibers into separate fibers, said apparatus being of the known type that has (a) a rapidly rotating opening roll, (b) a rotating feed roll for advancing said slivers towards said opening roll, the improvement comprising A. a pressure roll urged into contact with said feed roll for establishing a clamping zone in cooperation therewith to grip and advance said slivers towards said opening roll,

B. a filler body occupying substantially the entire space between the said rolls, said filler body having at least three arcuate portions each conforming to a peripheral portion of one of said rolls and C. a passage for accommodating and guiding said slivers, said passage leading from said clamping zone to said opening roll and being bounded by said filler body.

' 17. An improvement as defined in claim 16, said filler body including a stripper edge urged into contact with said pressure roll.

18. In an apparatus for opening slivers of textile fibers into separate fibers, said apparatus being associated with an open-end spinning device and being of the known type that has (a) a rapidly rotating opening roll having a plurality of teeth on its periphery, and (b) a rotating feed roll for advancing said slivers towards said opening roll, the improvement comprising work zone bounded on one side by a peripheral portion of said opening roll and on the other side by a peripheral portion of said feed roll, said opening roll and said feed roll being driven in opposite directions, a pressure roll disposed upstream of said work zone and being pressed against said feed roll to provide a clamping zone for gripping each sliver, and means defining at least one outlet opening connected to a vacuum source, said outlet opening being disposed laterally of and adjacent to said clamping zone, said peripheral portions being located at a small radial distance from one another, said feed roll beingadapted to advance said slivers to said work zone, said opening roll separating said slivers into separate fibers in said work zone. 

1. In an apparatus for opening slivers of textile fibers into separate fibers, said apparatus being associated with an open-end spinning device and being of the known type that has (a) a rapidly rotating opening roll having a plurality of teeth on its periphery, and (b) a rotating feed roll for advancing said slivers towards said opening roll, the improvement comprising a work zone bounded on one side by a peripheral portion of said opening roll and on the other side by a peripheral portion of said feed roll, and a pressure roll disposed upstream of said work zone and being pressed against said feed roll to provide a clamping zone for gripping each sliver, with said opening roll and said feed roll being driven in opposite directions, with the periphery of said feed roll being provided with peripherally extending groove means in a spaced, side-by-side relationship, with the outermost point on said teeth and on said groove means being located at a radial distance from one another of not more than 0.5 mm, with said feed roll being adapted to advance said slivers to said work zone, and with said opening roll separating said slivers into separate fibers in said work zone.
 2. An improvement as defined in claim 1, wherein said radial distance is approximately 0.1 mm.
 3. An improvement as defined in claim 1, wherein said groove means are formed as a plurality of spacedly juxtaposed individual grooves.
 4. An improvement as defined in claim 1, wherein said groove means are formed as a single, helically extending groove having a plurality of turns.
 5. An improvement as defined in claiM 1, wherein the width and the depth dimensions of said groove means are approximately 0.2 -1.0 mm.
 6. An improvement as defined in claim 5, wherein said dimensions are 0.4 - 0.6 mm.
 7. An improvement as defined in claim 1, wherein the distance between the centers of two axially adjoining grooves is approximately 1 - 3 mm.
 8. An improvement as defined in claim 7, wherein said last-named distance is approximately 2 mm.
 9. An improvement as defined in claim 1, wherein axially adjoining grooves of said groove means are separated from one another by lateral walls, each wall having a crest line formed of peripherally alternating valleys and peaks.
 10. An improvement as defined in claim 9, wherein said peaks and valleys are of uniform configuration.
 11. An improvement as defined in claim 10, wherein said peaks and valleys of adjacent walls are in alignment in the axial direction of said feed roll.
 12. An improvement as defined in claim 10, wherein the peaks and the valleys on one lateral wall are staggered at a uniform angle with respect to the peaks and the valleys of an axially adjoining lateral wall.
 13. An improvement as defined in claim 1, the periphery of said feed roll being provided with peaks and valleys.
 14. An improvement as defined in claim 1, wherein said radial distance is between approximately 0.1 to 0.5 mm.
 15. An improvement as defined in claim 1, wherein the distance measured along the periphery of said feed roll from said clamping zone to the location of the smallest distance between said opening roll and said feed roll being greater than the maximum staple length of the fibers in said slivers.
 16. In an apparatus for opening slivers of textile fibers into separate fibers, said apparatus being of the known type that has (a) a rapidly rotating opening roll, (b) a rotating feed roll for advancing said slivers towards said opening roll, the improvement comprising A. a pressure roll urged into contact with said feed roll for establishing a clamping zone in cooperation therewith to grip and advance said slivers towards said opening roll, B. a filler body occupying substantially the entire space between the said rolls, said filler body having at least three arcuate portions each conforming to a peripheral portion of one of said rolls and C. a passage for accommodating and guiding said slivers, said passage leading from said clamping zone to said opening roll and being bounded by said filler body.
 17. An improvement as defined in claim 16, said filler body including a stripper edge urged into contact with said pressure roll.
 18. In an apparatus for opening slivers of textile fibers into separate fibers, said apparatus being associated with an open-end spinning device and being of the known type that has (a) a rapidly rotating opening roll having a plurality of teeth on its periphery, and (b) a rotating feed roll for advancing said slivers towards said opening roll, the improvement comprising work zone bounded on one side by a peripheral portion of said opening roll and on the other side by a peripheral portion of said feed roll, said opening roll and said feed roll being driven in opposite directions, a pressure roll disposed upstream of said work zone and being pressed against said feed roll to provide a clamping zone for gripping each sliver, and means defining at least one outlet opening connected to a vacuum source, said outlet opening being disposed laterally of and adjacent to said clamping zone, said peripheral portions being located at a small radial distance from one another, said feed roll being adapted to advance said slivers to said work zone, said opening roll separating said slivers into separate fibers in said work zone. 